Mount blanks Cranston East

WOONSOCKET — Mount St. Charles Academy has faced Cranston East in the playoffs in each of the last four years.
Four times, four wins.
The latest of those victories came on Thursday night as the third-seeded Mounties blanked the No. 6 seed Thunderbolts, 3-0, in the Division I quarterfinals. Mount posted scores of 25-18, 25-17, 25-19.
“I was a little concerned about tonight’s game,” admitted MSC coach Josh D’Abate, whose squad defeated Cranston East the past two years in the Div. II finals and also beat the ’Bolts in the quarterfinals in 2008. “We’ve beaten them the last three years and they were due to get a win. It was good to come out on the right end of the score.”
The Mounties, who face second-seeded South Kingstown (14-2) in the semifinals this Wednesday at Rhode Island College, were led by 38 assists and five digs from sophomore Ryan Durand. Senior Matt Boni had 10 kills and six aces and senior Matt Koback had 13 kills and two aces for Mount, which finished third during the league season at 11-5. Cranston East, which posted a 6-11 mark in the league, defeated Coventry on Tuesday in a play-in game for its rite to face the Mounties.